First Solar Announces Groundbreaking of Malaysian solar module manufacturing Plant
PHOENIX, Apr 20, 2007
Source: FirstSolar press release
http://investor.firstsolar.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=238798
First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq:FSLR) announced that the Company had a ground breaking ceremony today on a new four-line solar module manufacturing plant in Kedah, Malaysia. Announced in Jan. 2007, the new plant will have an expected minimum annual nameplate capacity of 100MW. The manufacturing plant will be located in Kulim Hi Tech Park located in Kedah, Malaysia and when fully ramped will employ approximately 500 people. Today’s groundbreaking puts First Solar on track to complete plant construction by late 2007, with full volume production expected by the end of 2008.
“The entrance of First Solar to Kulim Hi-Tech Park is very timely and anxiously anticipated since the Malaysian Government has been a strong proponent of clean and renewable energy resources,” said Dato’ Ahmad Shukri Tajuddin, Group CEO, Kulim Technology Park Corporation Bhd. “Investors in high-tech related industries such as First Solar can be assured of innovative and generous business incentives from the Malaysian Federal Government as well as conscientious one-stop facilitation assistance from the Kedah State Government.”
“This groundbreaking represents an important step in our mission to accelerate the commercial adoption of solar energy,” said Heiner Eichermueller, Vice President of Global Manufacturing for First Solar. First Solar currently operates a manufacturing plant in Ohio with 75MW nameplate capacity and is in the process of completing a manufacturing plant in Germany with 100MW nameplate capacity.
About First Solar
First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq:FSLR) manufactures solar modules with an advanced thin film semiconductor process that significantly lowers solar electricity costs. By enabling clean renewable electricity at affordable prices, First Solar provides an economic alternative to peak conventional electricity and the related fossil fuel dependence, greenhouse gas emissions and peak time grid constraints.